Barossa Valley Archives - Young Gun of Wine

Two Hands – Holy Grail Vineyard

The name of this vineyard tells its story: Two Hands’ ambition is for their Holy Grail Vineyard, located on Seppeltsfield’s iconic ‘Avenue of Hopes and Dreams’, to become nothing less than one of the Barossa’s all-time greatest. Planted to a combination of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, grenache and mataro, with an impressive diversity of heirloom shiraz clones, this twenty-eight hectare vineyard is subdivided into twenty-two separate blocks – each with its own unique and considered combination of micro-climate, variety/clone, planting density, trellising system, and row orientation. Lead by viticulture manager Peter Raymond, the Two Hands team tends to Holy Grail with a combination of cutting-edge technology and meticulous planning in order to produce fruit for a diverse range of wine styles and price points – including one of the label’s crown jewels, the ‘Invenienda’ Shiraz Sur Échalas from Holy Grail’s Clos Block.

Hoffmann Family – Hundred of Belvedere Vineyard, Barossa Valley

The Hoffmann family are amongst the leading lights of Barossa winegrowing, with fruit from their vineyards going to a wide range of producers – from the cutting-edge ‘new wave’ (Sami-Odi, Agricola, Sigurd), to icons of the Parker Point era (Torbreck, Thorn-Clarke, Two Hands), through to the resolutely old-school (Rockford, Travis Earth). And while their vineyard holdings are scattered across twenty separate blocks in the northern reaches of the Barossa Valley, near Ebenezer, the spiritual core for the Hoffmanns is the seventy-two-hectare Hundred of Belvedere Vineyard – home not only to the ancient vines of the Dallwitz Block, but also the exciting young vines of the Mickan Block, as well as nine other parcels of vines. Each of these blocks is dialled in to produce fruit that suits the specific needs of the winemakers the Hoffmanns work with – an intricate dance between sites, grower, and makers.

Rohrlach Vineyard, Barossa Valley

Since taking over the reins at his family’s vineyard in 2023, Paul Rohrlach has been on a voyage of discovery, continually seeking more environmentally friendly viticultural management methods, new varieties that might anticipate changes in consumer demand, and the best possible expression of the terroir of Barossa Valley’s Vine Vale subregion. Plantings across this thirty-two hectare block include the region’s stalwarts of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and grenache – but are filled out with an exciting roster of alternative varieties, including montepulciano, grenache blanc and gris, clairette, graciano, touriga nacional, malbec, aglianico, saperavi, counoise, cinsault, carignan, fiano, and antão vaz. Thanks to its forward-thinking approach to viticulture and variety, this vineyard’s fruit goes into wines from producers looking for alternative expressions of the Barossa, including Vanguardist, Yelland & Papps, Tim Smith Wines, and Gibson’s ‘Discovery Road’ range.

Eperosa – Magnolia Vineyard, Barossa Valley

Nestled in a Barossa Valley gully at 305–335 meters, Eperosa’s Magnolia vineyard, spanning 5.5 hectares, is tended by sixth-generation viticulturist Brett Grocke, with vines planted from 1896 to 2017. Its deep granitic sands, fed by three winter streams, support dry-grown shiraz, semillon, grenache noir, and grenache blanc, mostly on own roots. Grocke’s organic (not certified), regenerative approach – featuring permanent swards, winter sheep grazing, and minimal copper – enhances soil health and vine longevity. Wines include Eperosa’s Magnolia 1941 Semillon, NV Magnolia Blanc Semillon, Grenache Blanc, 1950 Grenache, Shiraz, 1965 Shiraz, and 1896 Shiraz. Magnolia defies Barossa’s bold stereotype, delivering finesse and minerality from its cool microclimate and sandy terroir. Grocke’s climate-ready tactics, like planting drought-tolerant grenache blanc and reworking old vines, bolster resilience. A family-run operation with deep community ties, this vineyard channels all fruit into Eperosa’s wines, blending heritage and innovation to craft a refined counterpoint to the region’s norm.

Yalumba – The Tri-Centenary Vineyard, Barossa Valley

The hero of the ‘The Tri-Centenary Vineyard’ is 1.12 hectares of 820 gnarly bush vines of grenache. Planted in 1889, the oldest vines are 135 years of age, and with further plantings in 2003 and 2016 across the 18-hectares, the average vine age is over 50 years, with around 15-hectares comprising of grenache, and a further speckling of shiraz and grenache blanc vines. Cuttings from these vines support Yalumba Nursery’s propagation of select vine material. The vineyard features deep, sandy loam layers underlain with red-brown clay. With careful management, dry grown vines on these soils can consistently produce outstanding quality fruit. A handful of wines are made from this vineyard, the most esteemed of which is the ‘Yalumba Tri-Centenary Grenache’.

Turkey Flat Vineyard, Barossa Valley

The Turkey Flat Vineyard has been farmed by the Schulz family since 1865, though the oldest plantings precede their tenure. First planted in 1847, the site has some of this country’s most ancient vines, but they were almost lost in 1987 under the notorious ‘vine pull scheme’. Thankfully, the decision was made to start producing wine rather than just selling fruit, with the Turkey Flat brand born and the first commercial vintage coming in 1990. That decision revived their fortunes, and it also helped buoy the image of Barossa wines. Today, the Schulz family continue their stewardship with a focus on reinvigorating the old vines and establishing new ones from the ancient material. The site is farmed by Mark Przibilla with a sustainable mindset, building biodiversity and rising to the challenges of climate change.

Tscharke – Gnadenfrei North Vineyard, Barossa Valley

Damien Tscharke takes sustainability and transparency very seriously, with his vineyards and winery being certified both organic and biodynamic – a rarity in the Barossa. Solar power meets the energy needs, and only rainwater and recycled wastewater is employed in the winery and for irrigation, while all compost and biodynamic preparations are made inhouse as they work towards a closed loop farming operation. The motivation for this approach is centred around larger environmental goals as much as it is around making better and more expressive wine. Tscharke’s Gnadenfrei North Vineyard is a young one, first planted in 2017, and it is dedicated to the classic red varieties of the region and a handful of white Rhône varieties. It’s a suite of grapes that through the genetic adaption of old Barossa vine material and carefully selected climate-apt emerging varieties, Tscharke believes will be making balanced expressive wines for generations to come. The site currently yields an ultra-premium grenache blanc, a single-vineyard shiraz and a grenache rosé.

Kalleske – Johann Georg Vineyard, Barossa Valley

The Kalleske family property, in the Barossa Valley subdistrict of Moppa, is one of great historical significance. Settled in 1853, the legacy is one of grazing, broadacre farming and grape-growing, with the oldest shiraz vines on the property some 148 years old – some of the country’s oldest. That 1.2-hectare vineyard of Ancestor vines carries the name of one of the property’s founders, Johann Georg, and it fittingly makes the Kalleske flagship wine of the same name. All the Kaelleske vineyards have been biodynamically certified for 25 years, with the celebrated eponymous wine label, made by Troy Kalleske, just on 21 years old this year. Kym Kalleske farms the vines, working with his parents and two brothers to ensure a rich family legacy will stretch long into the future through a focus on sustainability and regenerative agriculture.

Two Hands – Holy Grail Vineyard Peter Raymond